{"id":3324,"date":"2025-04-10T09:55:35","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T09:55:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/diu\/?p=3324"},"modified":"2025-04-10T09:55:35","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T09:55:35","slug":"reflectance-transformation-imaging-reflections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/diu\/2025\/04\/10\/reflectance-transformation-imaging-reflections\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflectance (Transformation Imaging) Reflections"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Reflectance Transformation Imaging, or RTI as it is more commonly known, is described as <\/span>\u2018a computational photographic method that captures a subject\u2019s surface shape and color and enables the interactive re-lighting of the subject from any direction. RTI also permits the mathematical enhancement of the subject\u2019s surface shape and color attributes. The enhancement functions of RTI reveal surface information that is not disclosed under direct empirical examination of the physical object\u2019<\/span><\/i> by Cultural Heritage Imaging <\/span>https:\/\/culturalheritageimaging.org\/Technologies\/RTI\/<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I think of it as raking light on steroids- essentially you have a camera at the top which fires in sequence with individual lights located in a circle around the item, and then the registered images can be engaged with interactively through the freely available RTI Viewer <\/span>https:\/\/culturalheritageimaging.org\/What_We_Offer\/Downloads\/View\/index.html<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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In 20<\/span>22<\/span> the <\/span>Library<\/span> purchased an RTI dome<\/span> with the <\/span>assistance<\/span> of AHRC funding. This was built <\/span>and installed <\/span>by <\/span>Prof. <\/span>Kirk Martinez<\/span> of <\/span><\/span>https:\/\/custom-imaging.co.uk\/<\/span><\/span><\/a> in the <\/span>MakerSpace<\/span> at the Main Library<\/span>. However, it <\/span>is <\/span>only<\/span> recently that we have been able to start <\/span>trialling the kit on some <\/span>C<\/span>ollections items<\/span> (and a few<\/span> bits and bobs from <\/span>outwith<\/span> the Collections)<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

RTI suits flat-ish originals that have surface texture, up to A3-ish size, for example:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n